Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) In the United States, one-third of all school-aged children are overweight or obese and very few eat the daily amount of fruits and vegetables recommended by national health authorities. (2) On average, more than 30 million children participate in the National School Lunch Program daily, with more than 70 percent qualifying for free or reduced-price meals based on family household income. (3) Improving the healthfulness of school meals, including serving more fruits and vegetables, will improve children’s eating habits and their health. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that children make half their plate fruits and vegetables at each meal. (4) Research indicates that school salad bars are an effective strategy to increase children’s consumption of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. (5) Salad bars are one of the easiest ways for school food authorities to meet the new school lunch nutrition standards that require serving a fruit and a vegetable every day, a colorful variety of vegetables every week, and that students select at least one-half cup of a fruit or a vegetable at lunch. (6) Salad bars are effective in elementary, middle, and high school, they empower students to try new fruits and vegetables and are a tangible example of a school’s commitment to wellness and healthier school meals.